Paper-feeding machine



\ N d m" 1 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 1. I T. 0. DEXTER. PAPER FEEDING MACHINE.

No. 605,089. Patented'June 7, 18 98..

N Q j 'INVENTOR JZW. 0

; ATT0RNEY$ (No ModeL) ,5 SheetsSheet 4.

' T.G.DEXTER. PAPER FEEDING MACHINE.

Patented June 7; 1898.

M v BY I g ATmfiNEY (No Model.) 1 5 Sheets-Shei 5.

" T. O. DEXTER.

. PAPER FEEDING MACHINE;

No. 605,089@ Patented June 7, 1898.

Q WW I WITNESSES PATENT om...

'rAnnoro. DEXTER, F- REARL RIVER, NEW YORK.

PAPERTFLEIJIEDILNG MACHINE.-

SPECIFICATION forming a a Letters Patent No. 605,089, dated d'nn e 7,189 8. Application filed September 16,1896. Renewed October 16,1397. Serial no} 656,480. (no model.)

citizen of the United States, residing at Pearl River, in the county of Rockland and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Feeding Machines, of which tion.

My present invention relates toiuiprov'e-v ments' in the class of 'machine's'desigued to feed successivel y one sheet of paperat a time from a pile to a printing-press,-p'aper folding or ruling machine, or'other machine designed to operate upon the'paper. In'practice with these machinesit is very necessary to have the paper piled evenly in order to insure feeding the sheets f'orward squarely and to the same point; In fact, it has been found extremely difficult in some cases to start the sheets-squarely from the feeding-machine into thefolding-maohine or other machine to which'the paper is fed owing to the fact that the push-fingers or feeding instruments are apt to slip more or less upon the surface of the sheet. If the sheets are not started squarely from the feeding-machine, they will application filed by me --N ovember 22, 1897,

Serial No. 659,366, I cover, broadly, automatically-controlled frictional feeding instruments controlled by the sheet being fed oif for accomplishing this result. It is the object of my present invention to accomplish this same-result by a different form of mechanism from that described and claimed in my above-named case. To this end I provide means forfautomatioally rendering the fric tional engagement of the feeding fingers or instruments-with the paper active or inactive 'without interfering with the uniform stroke of the feeding devices and without necthe-followin'g is a specificaessarily elevatingthe feeding devices from the surface of the'paper,-such mechanism being under the control of automatic controlling devices operated by the passing sheets of paper for rendering the frictional engagement of the feeding devices with the paper inact-iv'e when the advance edge of the sheet reaches a certain point and active again after the sheet has passed from the feeding-machine.- I have stated that the feeding devices are not necessarily elevated from the surface of the paper in carrying out my invention; but the invention applies as Well to such feeding devices that are elevated from the surface of the paper in making their return strokes as to those which are notso elevated.

The preferred mechanism for accomplishing the above result comprises two push-fingers or feeding-off fingers having journaled in their forward ends frictional feed-rollers provided with ratchet-wheels with which engage suitable spring-released dogs or detents, said dogs or detents being operated against the action of their springs to cause them to afterward point out the novelty with more particularity in the annexed claims.

In said drawings, Figure li's aplan view of a paper-feeding machine having my improvements applied thereto. "Fig." 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the machine and showing the automatic feeding-fingers in operative position. Fig.-3.is a'similar sec tional view having parts broken away, showing the feeder-fingers in elevatedinoperative position. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail secengage the ratchet-wheels by means of indetional view showing one of the automatic electric controlling devices of the feeding-fingers and the sheet-separating device. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation of one of the feeding-fingers. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the same. Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged perspective views of the automatic controlling device and the paper-feeding device.

1 is the main frame of a feeding-machine, and 2 is a vertically-movable table of the machine, upon which is piled paper P to be fed from the machine. The table is raised automaticallyby means of the vertical screws 3 working in nuts 4:, attached to the table. The mechanism for transmitting motion to the screws is immaterial and is not described.

5 5 represent sheet-buckling devices which are supported above the pile of paper adjacent to the rear corners. These buckling devices are adapted to be operated in any suitable manner for separating the rear edges of the sheets from the remainder of the pile before the feeding-off devices are brought into operation. The sheet-buckling devices are well known in this art, and as those employed in my present machine maybe of any of the well-known forms I have not specifically described this part of the mechanism.

Supported at the forward edge or delivery end of the machine are suitable beds 10, havin g hard-rubber surfaces 1 1. O ver these beds are supported friction-pads 12, which are reeiprocated horizontally parallel with the line of feed and movable vertically to and from the bed, respectively, at the rear and front ends of their horizontal strokes. These pads are formed of soft rubber and are supported at the lower ends of the levers 15, which are pivoted to slides 16, riding on the guides 17, secured by hanger-brackets 18 to the crossbar 19, fastened to the sides of the main frame 1. These sheet-separating devices are essentially the same as covered by my application above referred to, Serial No. 617,263, and a further description of them and the mechanism for operating them for effecting the separation of two or more sheets which may have been fed forward simultaneously will not be necessary. Such sheet-separating devices at the delivery end of the feedingmachine are also preferably employed in connection with my improved automatic feedin goff devices; but they are not essential.

The above-described parts of the mechanism do not constitute my present invention, except in combination with the features here inafter described, for in my above-named application, Serial No. 617,263, I have claimed, broadly, the combination of a frictional retarding-bed arranged at the delivery end of the machine, feeding-off fingers operating above a pile of sheets for feeding the sheets from the pile onto said retarding-bed, and a separator-pad operating alternately with the feeding-off fingers and adapted to engage the front marginal portion of the sheets above the retarding-bed only for separating said sheets from any chance underlying sheets and feeding them forward from the machine.

is a rock-shaft suitablyjournaledin the machine-frame and operated in any suitable manner.

26 is a rock-arm keyed to and depending from the shaft 25, and 27 is the paper-feeding finger or feeding-off finger journalcd to the lower end of rock-arm 26.

28 is the friction feed-roll, freely journalcd in the forward bifurcated end of the feedingfinger 27, and 29 is a ratchet-wheel keyed to the journal 28 of the roll 28.

30 is a sliding dog or detent sliding in hearing 31 on the arm 27 and having a nose 30, which is adapted to be thrown into engagement with the ratchet-wheel 2.).

32 is a spiral spring engaging the arm 2" and the dog 30 and holding the dog 30 normally out of engagement with ratchet 29 to allow the feed-roll 28 to rotate freely in the arm 27.

35 is a journal-pin secured in the lower end. of rock-arm 26, upon which the arm 27 is loosely journalcd.

38 is a cam also journaled upon rod 35 and secured to arm 27 to move with it.

36 is a spiral spring engaging the pin 35 at one end and the arm 27 at its other end for affording the necessary downward pressure to the arm 27 and feed-roll 28.

40 is a lever pivoted to arm 26 at one side and provided with a spring 1-1 for holding it in contact with the cam In Figs. 3 and 6 the spring 4:1 is shown socured to rock-arm 26 below the pivot of lever 40, while in Fig. 9 the spring is secured to said rock-arm above the pivotof lever 4C0; but in both arrangements of the springit engages lever 10 above its pivot for holding its lower end in engagement with cam In Fig. 2 the spring 41 is omitted.

42 is a pin adapted to engage the nose of cam 38 when the feeding-finger reaches the end of its forward stroke, thereby elevating the feed-roller 28 from the surface of the paper and causing the spring-pressed lever 10 to engage the notch 38 of the cam for holding the feed-roller in elevated position until it is again ready to make its forward stroke. \Vhen the feeding device reaches the end of its backward stroke, a stop 13 engages the upper end of lever 40 and releases the cam 38, thereby allowing the spring 36 to again throw the arm 27 and feed-roll 28 into lowered position.

-15 is an armaturelcver pivoted at M5 on one side of rock arm 26 and pivotally engaging the dog 30 at its lower end i7.

418 is an armature mounted upon the upper end of lever 15.

is an electromagnet supported upon a curved arm 49 of the rock-arm 26 in proper relation to the armature 4.8.

Secured to one side of the bed 10 of; the

ing-fingers havefinished their stroke.

sheet-separatingdevice is a block 55, of fiber or other insulating material, formed with a forward lower end of the controlling-lever 62 is curved at 62*, said curved end resting normally in the slot 56. v

is a battery, and 71 is an electric circuit including the electromagnet 50, battery 70, contact 64, and lever 62. When there is no paper passing under the contact-lever 62, the circuit is closed, energizing the magnet 50 and causing it to attract armature 48 and cause the dog 30 to engage the ratchet-wheel 29 and prevent the rotation of the feed-roll 28.

It will be observedthat two sets of feeding devices are arranged upon the pile of paper transversely to the line of feedand that each feeding device is provided with an automatic electric controlling. device for rendering it inactive atthe moment the advance edge of the paper directly in front of said device reaches the line of register.

The operation of the device maybe briefly described as follows: The buckling devices at the rear edge of the sheetfirst separate the rear corners of the top sheet from the p l The feeding-fingers then come into play andengage the sheet for feeding it forward. As there has been no sheet advanced from the pile, the circuit will be closed by reason of the levers 62 being in contact with the pin 642.; This will hold the dog 30 in engagement with ratchet 29 and prevent the rotation of feed-roll '28, so that as the pushfingers v are V advanced they carrythe sheet along until thefront edge has advanced sufficiently far to lift the lower curved ends of levers 62, which break the magnetic circuit and allow thesprings 32 to disengage the dogs 30 from ratchet-wheels 29 and allow the rollers 28 to rotate over the paper untilthe feed- I If the feeding-lingers are provided with the mechanism for elevating them for their rear stroke,

this operation will next occur; but if the feeding-fingers are not elevated the rollerswill revolve over the paper on the backward stroke of the feeding-fingers, and as they freely rotate they will not interfere with the movement of the sheet out of the machine. As soon as the forward edge of the sheet reaches the contact-levers 62 the sheet-separating blocks are brought into play and insure the separation of the uppersheet from the next lower if the latter has happened to follow it forward, and the drop-rollers orothersuitabledevices then engagethe sheet and carry it outof the machine.

If thesheet has been started'forward unevenly, it will be observed that the control- .ling deviceat one side or the other will be actuated sooner than the other controlling device, causing its feeding device to be rendered inactive first and allow the other feeding device to feed the opposite side of the paper forward until the sheet is squared. If

vtwosheets should be disengaged by the bucklers and be fed forward by the push-fingers at one time, so that their front edges overlap the lower bed of the separator, one sheet would remain on the separator-bed under the curved ends of levers 62 after the first had beingjallowed to remain in practically the same position to which theywere brought by thepush-fingers and afterward successively moved forward and out of the machine by the separator and drop-rollers. Now if,after several sheets had been fed forward to the separator, in making the next stroke the push-fingers would again advance these several sheets, they would be pushed beyond the separator. Therefore there would be no op 'portunity of separating them and the entire balance of the number would be fed from the machine, whereas by my improved method, it will be understood that where several sheets are fed forward by the push-fingers and'only one at a time fed by the separators, the remaining sheets will cause the electric contacts to remain broken so that the push-fingers will be deprived of. their ability to push forward these sheets,owing to the fact that the rollers will revolve on the paper as the mag nets are deprived of their power for locking them. It will therefore be observed that my automatically-controlled feeding-01f devices are indispensable to the perfect operationof a feeding-machine of this class. 1

Iam aware that it has been proposed to control the action of sheet-combing devices by the movement of the sheet being fed forward, and I do not claim such a structure. I am also awarethat it is old to provide a feed-finger with a roller which is adapted to rotate freely on the rearward stroke of the feed-finger and to bind and be held against rotation on its for- .ward stroke for elfecting the feed of the sheet. Ido not claim such a structure. 7 In contra! distinctionto these well-known structures my invention comprises suitablefeeding devices This remaining sheet would having means controlled by the movement of thesheet for automatically rendering the frietional engagement of the feeding devices with the sheet active or inactive, according to the position of the sheets of paper, thereby perfectly squaring the forward edge of each sheet as it is fed forward and automatically feedin g the sheets successively from the machine.

In my above-named application, Serial No. 659,366, I have claimed, broadly, the automatically-eontrolled frictional feeding instruments,as distinguished from combing devices, whereas in my present application my claims cover such automatically-controlled feeding devices which are rendered inoperative or inactive independently of their elevation from the surface of the paper, whether or not they are constructed to move out of and into contact with the paperat the ends of their stroke.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a paper-feeding machine, of suitable feeding devices, having a normally-active frictional engagement with the paper on their forward stroke, means for imparting a uniform stroke to the feeding devices, and means for automatically rendering the frictional engagement of the feeding devices inactive at certain points on their forward stroke without elevating them from the paper or arresting their uniform motion, said automatic means being controlled by the advance edge of the paper being fed off, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a paper-feeding machine, of suitable feeding devices, means for imparting a uniform feeding motion thereto, and suitable electric controlling devices operated by a passing sheet for rendering the feeding devices active or inactive according to the position of the sheet being fed off and Without interfering with or interrupting their uniform feeding motion or elevating the feeding devices from the paper, substantially as set forth.

3. In apaper-feediug machine for automatically moving sheets of paper from apile, the combination of a feeding-finger, means for operating it, a friction feed-roller j ournaled in said finger and adapted to bear upon the paper, an automatic device for holding said roller against rotation to cause it to move the paper, and suitable means operated by the moving sheet for automatically controlling the action of said automatic device causing it to release the roller to free rotation over the paper when the sheet has a certain position, and to hold the roller against rotation when in another position to cause it to feed the succeeding sheet, substantially as set forth.

I. In a paper-feeding machine forautomatically moving sheets of paper from a pile, the combination of two feeding-f1 ngers arranged transversely of the line of feed a suitable distance apart above the pile of paper, means for operating said feeding-fingers in parallel planes, feed-rollers journaled in said feedfingers and adapted to bear upon the paper, independent automatic devices for holding the respective rollers against rotation to cause them to move the paper, and suitable independent controlling devices operated by the moving sheet for automatically controlling said automatic holding devices and causing them to free the roller for rotation and thereby arrest the feed of each roller when the edge of the sheet in front of it reaches a certain point, substantially as set forth.

5. In a paper-feeding machine, the combination of a feeding-linger, a friction feed-roll journaled in said finger, a dog or detent carried by the linger and adapted to hold the roller against rotation, and suitable automatic means operated bya moving sheet for controlling the operation of the dog and consequent; action of the feed-roll, substantially as set forth.

6. In a paper-feeding machine, the combination of a feeding-finger, a friction feed-roll journaled in the finger, a ratchet-wheel secured to the journal of the feed-roll, a springreleased dog or detent carried by the feed-finger and adapted to be moved into engagement with the ratchet -wheel for holding the roll against rotation, and a suitable automatic device controlling the dog or detent and operated by the advance edge of the sheet being fed off for releasing the dog from engagement with the ratchet to allow the rotation of the roll, substantially as set forth.

7. In a paper-feeding machine, the combination of a feeding-finger, a friction feed-roll journaled in the feed-finger and provided with a ratchet-wheel on one of its journals, a dog or detent carried by the feeding-finger and adapted to engage the ratchet, an electromagnetic device adapted to move the dog into engagement with the ratchet, and an electriccontact-controlling device operated by a passing sheet for controlling the action of the electromagnetic device,substantiallyas set forth.

8. In a paper-feeding machine, the combination of a feeding-finger, a rock-arm upon which said finger is mounted, a friction feedroll journaled in said finger and having a ratchet-wheel secured to its journal, a dog or detent supported on the feed finger and adapted to engage the ratchet, an armaturelever pivoted to the rock-arm and engaging the dog or detent and carrying an armature, an electromagnet supported on the rock-arm, and an electric-eontact-controlling device operated by a passing sheet for controlling the action of the electromagnet, substantially as set forth.

9. In a paper-feeding machine, the combination of a feeding-finger, a friction feed-roll j ournaled in said finger and having a ratchetwheel secured to its journal, a dog or detent supported upon the finger and adapted to engage the ratchet-whecl, a pivoted lever engaging the dog or detent, an armature on said lever, an electromagnet, a normally-closed electric circuit including the electromagnet, and a circuit making and breaking arm or lever in said circuit supported in the path of the paper to be operated thereby, substan tially as set. forth.

10. In a paper-feeding machine, the combination of a feeding-finger, a friction feed-roll journaled in the feed-finger, an electromagnetic device forholding the feed-roll against rotation in the feed-finger, an electric battery, a contact-point, a contact-lever supported in the path of the paper formed with a curved lower end adapted to be engaged by the paper, and an electriccircuit including the mag-- netic device, the battery and contacts, substantially as set' forth.

11. In a'paper-feeding machine, the combination of a feeding-finger having a friction feed-roll journaled in it, means for automatically elevating the feed-finger from the surface of the paper at the end of its forward stroke and for lowering the feed-finger upon the paper at the end of the rear stroke, means for holding the roller against rotation in the feed-finger, and an automatic controlling device operatedby the passing sheet'for regulatin g the roller-holding device, substantially as set forth.

12. In a paper feeding machine, the combibination of a paper-feeding finger having a feed-roll journaled in its end, a suitable device for holding the roll against rotation, an automatic controlling device operated by a passing sheet for regulating the action of the roller-holding device, and suitable buckling mechanism for separating the rear corners of the sheet from the pile, substantially as set forth. 

